The first round battle between the Chicago Blackhawks and the St. Louis Blues was much closer than the final 4-2 series score indicates. It was billed as a physical and exhilarating ride between two of the best teams from the Western Conference and it didn’t disappoint. In the end, Chicago rode their star power to victory and the Blues were once again left asking what went wrong.
Best Performance
Jonathan Toews
This was an easy choice. Toews started out slow, but quickly found his form and ended up posting three goals and four assists in six games. Oh, and all three goals were game winners. Not too shabby.
Goat of the Series
The St. Louis Offense
A lot of Blues fans would expect to see Ryan Miller here. Those fans may want to review the tape and check out just how many chances the St. Louis offense had to put a game (and a series) out of reach. Miller was far from outstanding, but the blame really lies on all of the skaters who missed empty nets time and time again.
Game that Turned the Tide
Game 5. Chicago winning inside the Scottrade Center all but officially ended the series. The Blues rallied late in the third, but Toews’ breakaway winner sealed the Blues’ fate both in Game 5 and in the series. Some Blues fans remained optimistic, but the odds weren’t in the team’s favor to win Game 6 in Chicago after a devastating Game 5 loss.
GIFs of the Series
Seabrook’s hit on Backes:
Oshie’s insane goal:
Seabrook and Backes bury the hatchet:
What’s Next for Chicago?
A date with either the Avalanche or Wild. Avs are currently the favorite, but we’ll see what happens in Game 6.
What’s Next for St. Louis?
Where do we start? They’ll have to make a really tough decision regarding Ryan Miller’s future. They’ll also have to address, or try to address, the issues on offense. The team could also use a bit more physicality on defense, but that’s probably third on the list, trailing the problems above.
